Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

There’s nothing like a college drop-out telling tales of getting fired and being diagnosed for cancer to fire up your students – and you – to pursue their passions. Especially when the speaker is the late Steve Jobs.

posted Oct 25, 2011

There's smart, and there's genius. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, is regarded as a genius for blending his intuition, clever ideas, and smart designs to give the world electronic devices like the iPod, iPad, and iTunes.

Since Jobs' death on October 5, 2011 there has been rekindled interest in his 2005 commencement address to Stanford University graduates. As your students are facing a future of uncertainty—and possibility—they will take Steve Jobs' wisdom to heart not only because he is genius, but also because he speaks from down-to-earth experience and with passion.

Jobs' commencement remarks aren't so much about how to find your dream job as they are about how to live. "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

More and more people are waking up to the mismatch between what is
taught in schools and what we need to know. What can you do about it?

Eric Duquette was told he would probably land in an institution,
unlikely to graduate. Listen to how Eric beat the odds and let his
light shine.

How new graduates are improvising when expected careers aren’t panning out.